The Consequences of a Stakeout
by mistyfur
Summary: Lois gets mad at Clark for ruining a story and takes out her anger at him in front of everyone at the Daily Planet. What will Clark do? Written for Princess Destiny's 'One Hour Challenges'.


Disclaimers: I'm just borrowing them for a little bit. I'll give them back... maybe... ;)

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The hustle and bustle of the newsroom was the norm for the Daily Planet. The sounds of people calling out for information and the steady tapping for fingers racing across keyboards hummed through out the room.

Perry White stepped out of his office in search of his two star reporters, who had yet to report in to work after being undercover for their latest expose. Those two were a dream team for any editor to have. Over the last year, he had seen their relationship grow from one were Lois barely tolerated having a partner, into one of mutual respect, friendship and trust. The perfect balance that continuously brought home page one stories for the Daily Planet.

"Jimmy!" Perry called out.

"Chief?" Jimmy asked glancing up from the photos he was looking over.

"Any news on when Lois and Clark will be in?"

Just then, the elevator doors opened and out stormed Lois Lane. An aura of extreme fury surrounded her and warned innocent bystanders of impeding doom if they were foolish to get in her path.

'_There goes my newsroom…' Perry thought._

"I said I don't want to TALK about it, Kent!" Lois replied in an annoyed tone of voice as she stomped towards her desk. "What part of that didn't you understand?"

Everyone stopped what they were doing to watch the rising battle. Previous temporary partners of Lois Lane cringed and looked at her current partner with pity. Mad Dog Lane was in the building and heaven help Clark Kent.

"Lois, I'm sor-," Clark entreated, watching her retreating body.

"I DON'T WANT TO HEAR IT, KENT!" Lois shouted. "You stay on your side and leave me alone."

'_Great shades of Elvis! No more page one exclusives, no more exposes, no more… Kerths!' A panicked Perry thought, silently weeping before begging for divine intervention. _

Lois paced back and forth in the crowded newsroom, muttering creative threats under her breath. Breathing heavily, she glared at her ex-partner, so to be dead, Clark Kent. All that work, all those man-hours and hours of surveillance! Down the drain because of him…

Clark walked towards her and stopped a few feet away from her. His eyes pleaded with her to listen to him. "Lois, we need to talk." Clark said quietly, "Let's go into the conference room."

"What could you possibly need to tell me in private that can't be said out here in front of everyone, Kent?" Lois snapped through clenched teeth.

"Lois Lane-"

"That's right, Lois Lane, Investigative Reporter for the Daily Planet. Key word, Kent, 'Investigative'. I waited hours, by myself, for this scoop and when you finally do show up, you completely screw it up!" Lois screamed at him.

"Lois, you could have waited for me," Clark replied calmly, "As partners-"

"As partners? HA!" Lois mocked, striding to meet him. She poked a finger into his chest, quivering with rage. "Where was my partner? I don't know. He disappeared sometime this morning with some cryptic feeble excuse about a 'thing that I forgot to do'."

'_If only you knew, Lois.' _

"I got called away to cover a Superman rescue and I got us-"

Lois walked away and ignored him as if he didn't exist.

Clark's features tightened and his dark eyes grew flared with anger, before he was able to regain his control and conceal it once more under the mask he wore in front of other.

"I told Perry this wouldn't work but did he listen. NO! Now, I'm stuck with a Hack from Nowhere Ville, one that I can't even depend on," Lois fumed, looking at her co-workers. "When he does show up, what pearls of wisdom does he offer?"

No one dared to answer her. They were to busy watching the silent man beside her.

"'Stay here, Lois'," she mimicked. "What the hell does he think I am? A piece of furniture or a pet? As if I'm just going to sit around until HE decides what-"

Clark's patience snapped, "Okay- Scenario. You either come with me right now or I throw you over my shoulder and carry you out. And I don't care how much you scream, pound or throw things!"

"EXCUSE ME?" Lois shouted in disbelief. "Kent, you wouldn't be foolish enough to dare to try that stunt."

"Fine, but don't say that you weren't warned, "Clark replied as he grabbed her and flung her over his shoulder.

Lois's outraged gasp echoed in the stunned silence of the newsroom. Her face flushed brightly as she imaged the picture they made. For a minute, she was completely surprised and unable to move, but quickly regaining her ire at her partner. She kicked and beat against him trying to loosen his grasp.

"You have a death wish, farmboy," Lois hissed, as she squirmed against him.

"Clark. My name is Clark, " he replied sternly. "Not 'farmboy' and not 'Hack from Nowhere's Ville'. Clark."

"Whatever, farmb-"Lois stopped, her eyes round with shock.

'_He didn't… he did!'_

'_How dare he?'_

"You hit me! You actually HIT me!" Lois sputtered, in disbelief.

"I spanked you once, Lois. If you're going to behave like an ill mannered child, you're going to be treated like one." Clark retorted.

"You're walking a very dangerous thin line, Kent!" Lois shouted, pounding against his back. She was to feel dizzy from being upside down for so long. "Put me down, now!"

"I'll let you go when you start acting like a rational adult." Clark replied. "Come on, Lois. I really think that we need to discuss this-"

"Really?" Lois sneered, looking down at the floor. "Like I care what you think at this moment."

"I think you should at least start to lis-"

"You completely blew the story!" Lois interrupted furiously. " And what did you say? Opps! Opps? The biggest scoop of the year lost and all you could say was 'opps'!"

It wasn't often that Lois went completely over the deep end, close to the edge frequently but rarely diving over that edge with such fervor as she was now. He knew that this story had been important to her but what she didn't know, was how close she came to this being her last story.

If he had been a few minutes late…

He recalled the moment he had felt when he returned to the Daily Planet and found her gone. Jimmy had quickly passed on the message that she had decided to go ahead and scout the site. Panic swept over him. She had gone without him!

Instead of waiting, she had decided to place herself in a dangerous situation, without anyone there to help her. Clark shuddered slightly and his arms tightened around her, trying to protect her from the remembered incident.

'_If Lois had been reckless in order to out scoop him, she had better start praying.' _Clark thought with a slight scowl.

"For once, Lois, you better listen to what I'm saying. From now on, you aren't allowed to go a stakeout, unless I'm right there beside you." Clark ordered, fear replacing the normally easygoing exterior that he normally had.

"HA! In your dreams!"

"I'm sure that even Superman, is getting tired of pulling your little 'investigative' rear out of the messes you get into. If you know what's good for you, you'll stay put until I get back!" Clark snapped back, ignoring her interruption.

Lois reared up and pushed herself hard against his back, her nails digging in slightly in anger. She twisted slightly until her mouth was inches away from his ear.

"I'M NOT YOUR PROPERTY!" She screamed, frustrated. "You don't tell me where or when to go somewhere. I make those decisions, Farmboy!"

Clark flinched as the sound echoed painfully. "Stop shrieking in my ear like a fishwife."

"Urg!" Lois huffed, before collapsing once again against him. She muttered softly under her breathe plans for getting back at Clark.

"I'm warning you, Lois." Clark threatened softly.

"You'll do what?" Lois taunted, pounding against his muscular body.

' _Wow… Clark's a lot more muscular than I thought'_ Lois mused as she felt his muscles shift under her. _'And those pants…why haven't I noticed before how much they hug his- Lois, what are you thinking? This is Clark! Snap out of it!'_

"Throw me over your shoulder, like a Neanderthal Farmboy? Oh, wait, you've already done th-"

Clark quickly lowered her until her feet touched the ground. He held onto her waist as she swayed dizzily from the sudden shift in position.

Clark met her irate eyes with a raised eyebrow, daring her to continue. He smiled at her and watched with amusement as Lois looked at him suspiciously.

"Are you insane?" Lois muttered, glaring at her smirking partner. She reached down and tugged against his hands, trying to pulling them away from body. "Let go, Farmboy!"

'_Got ya!'_ Clark thought in delight.

Clark swooped down and captured her lips, boldly claiming her as his in front of everyone. He felt her stiffen against him. His tongue teased the delicate rims of her lips, demanding entrance into the moist cavern.

Lois lost all her thoughts, as Clark coaxed her into opening herself further to his passionate embrace. Their tongues tangled tenderly against each other. Lois moaned softly before reluctantly pulling away from him.

They looked at each other, panting lightly. Eyes glazed with desire for each other. Her lips were swollen and pink, her face flushed a delicate pink and her eyes were bright with newfound knowledge.

Clark let her to step away from him slightly, allowing her some space.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Lois demanded, huskily.

"Every time you shout, yell or raise your voice over a certain level." Clark replied with a small purr. "I'm going to kiss."

A surprised gasp echoed from the watching crowd. They had been stunned into silence with the first kiss. Each one expecting this to be the last day that Clark Kent would live. He had dared to order, touch and kiss Mad Dog Lane. Survival rates were slim to none, but still there would have been a chance for him to live. But now, with his proclamation… Goodbye, Clark!

Lois's mouth dropped at his outrageous threat. Her eyes narrowed to icy slivers and she glanced at him thoughtfully.

'_He'd never do it. He's too much of a goody two shoes to try that again.' _Lois looked at his face and smirked. _'He's just saying that so that next I'll actually listen to him. Clark wasn't the type of person who would go through with it. He wouldn't cross that line again.'_

'_Are you sure about that, Lois?' _Her conscious taunted._ 'He didn't seem to have a problem with that first kiss. In fact, I think he's waiting for you to challenge him.'_

'_Of course I'm sure. This is Clark 'mild manner' Kent, not Lex,_' Lois retorted with a snort.

'_If you say so,_' it mocked stingingly._ 'But don't say you weren't warned.'_

'_Maybe he needs a reminder that Lois Lane doesn't back down from anyone.' _Lois shot back, before focusing on her partner.

"It would take a bigger man than you, Kent," Lois mocked, looking down at her hands nonchalantly. "Maybe if you were Superman, you could-"

Clark pulled her tightly against him again, "I could what? Tell me, Lois." Clark whispered softly into her ear. His hands moved over her back, caressing and teasing. His lips brushed her ear lobe, nibbling lightly.

Lois moaned softly as his chest moved against her with each breath that he took, desire flaring between them.

She shivered as the scent of his cologne washed over her. Spicy and earthy, but underneath it the natural scent of the man. An aroma that drew her him and started the ember of desire to burn within her. She bit her lip to stop herself from pleading with him to do something.

Clark's lips burned a path along her neck before traveling back to press tender kisses along her jaw. His eyes met hers and he watched as her lids fluttered shut and she breathed deeply. He smiled against her flesh, uncaring that everyone stood watching them.

Lois felt his smile and pulled away, breaking the erotic spell that he had so easily woven over her.

"What is wrong with you?" Lois snapped loudly, angry with herself for her loss of control. "Who gave you the right- "

"You did," Clark interrupted.

'_Ok, maybe I did. But I'm not going to admit it!'_

"I did not!" Lois spluttered, yelling aloud.

Clark reclaimed his territory, his tongue plunged forward to mate with hers. He explored every inch of her.

Lois's knees buckled, hands clenched tightly over his shoulders. A safe anchor in the churning sea of desire that he had so masterfully created. Her hands slid over him caressing his neck, shoulders before entwine within the silky strands of his dark hair. She felt his shuddered under her touch and pulled him deeper into her embrace.

Clark was trapped and wanted nothing more than to stay forever bounded to her. Reluctantly he pulled away, groaning as he heard her whimpered denial.

They flushed as they looked at their shocked, pale co-workers. Everyone stood mouths japing and still as statues.

Clark quickly released her. He backed away and ran a hand through his hair.

Lois watched his retreat from her and felt a pang of regret. Things could never be the same between them. This had changed everything.

'_This wasn't what he had in mind. How did things get so out of control? Lois will never trust me again and working with her will be impossible with her not speaking to him. Way to go, Clark.' _Clark thought in disgust. '_You've embarrassed Lois in front of everyone and you've just ruined the best thing that could have been yours someday. '_

"Mr. White," Clark called out, voice rough with emotions. "I'm giving you my two weeks notice. I'm sure you can understand why I need to leave."

"Clark," Perry called out, trying to stop him from leave.

"Lois, I'm sorry. I didn't mean for this to happen." Clark whispered. "I hope that someday, you'll forgive me for taking advantage of you. Goodbye."

He turned and made his way towards the elevator, not once looking at Lois.

Lois heart ached at the thought of never seeing Clark again. No more late night conversations, no more watching movies together, no more seeing Clark everyday. Was she willing to throw everything away just because she was too scared?

'You can do this, Lois. Clark would never hurt you and you know you love him.' Lois's eyes widened in surprise and she gasped. 'She loved Clark Kent.'

Somehow, without her being aware of it, he had managed to squeeze himself into her heart, to a place that no one had ever found before. Tears filled her eyes and a weight lifted away from her. Lois Lane loves Clark Kent. There was no way she was letting him go, not now.

She quickly walked towards his retreating figure and slid in front of him, stopping his departure. He looked at her with eyes filled with confusion and pain. She grasped his tie and pulled him along with her towards the conference room.

"Lois?"

"Come on, Farmboy," Lois teased, with a smile. "Oh, oops! I forgot… I wasn't suppose to call you that, right?"

Silence.

"What did you say the consequences were for calling you that? I remember now," Lois continued, as if he had responded, pulling her bemused partner along in her wake. "How about we go into the conference room and you can remind of what my punishment will be?"

"Lois?" Came Clark's stunned response.

"Ssshh. Come here, Clark," Lois purred, "Don't you trust me?"

Before pushing him into the room and slamming the door.

Laughter and murmured conversation roared through out the newsroom. Lane managed to get the last word in the end and things were definitely going to be interesting from now on. Perry watched it all with a smile.

'_Gasoline and Fire, those two. About time they did something about it. Lane & Kent: The Hottest Team Around!'_

"Ok, people. This paper doesn't run by it self. Get back to work." Perry shouted, firing out orders. "Olson! Where are those pictures?"

"I'm on it, Chief." Jimmy called out, running towards the dark room, ignoring the giggles and moans coming from the conference room.

The rest as they say, is history.

The End

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End file.
